[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15824-15825]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IDAHO COUNTY SHOOTING RANGE LAND CONVEYANCE ACT

  Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5040) to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain Federal land to Idaho County in the State of Idaho, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5040

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Idaho County Shooting Range 
     Land Conveyance Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) County.--The term ``County'' means Idaho County in the 
     State of Idaho.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Idaho 
     County Land Conveyance'' and dated April 11, 2014.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF LAND TO IDAHO COUNTY.

       (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after notification 
     by the County and subject to valid existing rights, the 
     Secretary shall convey to the County, without consideration, 
     all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     the land described in subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--The land referred to in 
     subsection (a) consists of approximately 31 acres of land 
     managed by the Bureau of Land Management and generally 
     depicted on the map as ``Conveyance_Area''.
       (c) Map and Legal Description.--
       (1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize the legal 
     description of the parcel to be conveyed under this section.
       (2) Minor errors.--The Secretary may correct any minor 
     error in--
       (A) the map; or
       (B) the legal description.
       (3) Availability.--The map and legal description shall be 
     on file and available for public inspection in the 
     appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.
       (d) Use of Conveyed Land.--The land conveyed under this 
     section shall be used only as a shooting range.
       (e) Administrative Costs.--The Secretary shall require the 
     County to pay all survey costs and other administrative costs 
     necessary for the preparation and completion of any patents 
     for, and transfers of title to, the land described in 
     subsection (b).
       (f) Conditions.--As a condition of the conveyance under 
     subsection (a), the County shall agree--
       (1) to pay any administrative costs associated with the 
     conveyance including the costs of any environmental, 
     wildlife, cultural, or historical resources studies;
       (2) to release and indemnify the United States from any 
     claims or liabilities that may arise from uses carried out on 
     the land described in subsection (b) on or before the date of 
     the enactment of this Act by the United States or any person; 
     and
       (3) to accept such reasonable terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines necessary.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Idaho (Mr. Labrador) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Nolan) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Idaho.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Idaho?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am the author of H.R. 5040, which directs the 
Secretary of the Interior to convey a 31-acre parcel of land to Idaho 
County, Idaho, to use for public recreation.
  Idahoans deeply value their Second Amendment rights, and many use 
firearms for hunting and shooting sports. The safe and proper use of 
firearms is often a tradition passed down from generation to 
generation. People need a safe designated area where they may sight in 
their rifles and teach safe firearms practices.
  Nearly 6 years ago, a county in my district, Idaho County, began the 
process of searching for a suitable location to install a shooting 
range to serve the needs of the county residents interested in 
exercising their Second Amendment rights.
  Idaho County, which is 83 percent controlled by the Federal 
Government, began working with the local BLM office in Cottonwood, 
Idaho, to identify land that the BLM could transfer to the county for 
use as a shooting range.
  The BLM identified a buried landfill in the county as a suitable 
location because the site is already used casually by recreational 
hunters and the general public as a shooting range. The land also 
provides the proper safety barriers because it is situated on an 
elevated bench, approximately 240 feet above a nearby road and 
surrounded by hills. The county and the local BLM officials agreed the 
site was perfect for a shooting range.
  The county began the process of seeking an administrative transfer 
from the BLM, but soon ran into procedural roadblocks. The site of the 
proposed shooting range is within a portion of the Lower Salmon River, 
which was identified by the BLM for potential inclusion in the National 
Wild and Scenic River System. Because of existing BLM regulations, the 
parcel cannot be transferred to the county administratively.
  As my staff and I met with the Idaho County commissioners to come up 
with a solution, we determined the only path forward was to introduce 
legislation in Congress to convey the land from the BLM to the county. 
My bill, the Idaho County Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act, would 
convey the 31-acre parcel to Idaho County for use as a shooting range.
  The BLM has spent a great deal of time and resources studying the 
proposed site and has determined the land would be perfect for a 
shooting range. The local BLM office in Cottonwood has been 
instrumental in gathering necessary environmental data to support the 
land conveyance, and I am grateful for their ongoing efforts to work 
with my staff and finally resolve this issue.
  My office has also worked closely with the Idaho County commissioners 
and Idaho County sheriff to develop a

[[Page 15825]]

plan to manage the land for public use as a shooting range. Part of the 
plan includes allowing Idaho County law enforcement to use the range to 
conduct firearms training and qualifications.
  Idaho County has waited nearly 6 years for this process to be 
completed. Idaho County residents want a safe, remote location to 
exercise their Second Amendment rights, and my bill will provide a 
solution that is long overdue.
  I urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Representative Labrador for the work 
he has done on behalf of his constituents and their recreational 
activities in their future.
  H.R. 5040 transfers 31 acres of public land to Idaho County for the 
purpose of establishing a public shooting range. The county will pay 
the administrative costs associated with the transfer and release the 
United States from any future liability.
  Historically, a bill of this nature would contain stronger language 
to guarantee that the transferred land would continue to be used for a 
public purpose or the ownership would automatically revert back to the 
United States Government.
  These so-called reversionary clauses ensure that, once transferred, 
the land is not sold or developed in a way not intended by Congress.
  It is important for Congress to establish clear and fair expectations 
when transferring management of an asset owned by the American 
taxpayer. We encourage Idaho County to use the land as intended by this 
bill.
  With that said, this bill merits our support, and we urge its 
adoption by the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Labrador) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5040.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________